An observation about the media response to the killing of UHC CEO Brian Thompson...

[Jedi Guy]

(Apologies in advance if anyone else commented on this. If so, I didn't see it. I'm not going to wade into the debate on how individuals are responding to the murder since that topic has been beaten into the ground.)

At time of writing, Thompson was shot and killed about 60 hours ago. Does anyone else find it peculiar that it's been legit wall-to-wall media coverage since it happened? It's been the headline on CNN.com since it occurred, taking precedence over even the declaration of martial law in South Korea. Let's be honest, martial law being declared in a democratic ally of the United States is, by any measure, a much bigger deal than a health insurance CEO getting killed.

All the same, the media is breathlessly, relentlessly focused on this one event, seemingly to the exclusion of all other events of significance in the world over the last couple days. I can't prove it, but I'd be willing to bet that this event has received far more coverage than the assassination of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a few years back. One would think that the assassination of the head of an allied state would be covered as much as, if not more than, the killing of a CEO.

I'd say this is pretty persuasive proof of the concept of "corporate media" for anyone who doubted the concept. This event is of trifling importance for John and Jane Q. Public (or Joe Bagodonuts, as my Dad would say). On the other hand, it's of immense significance for the corporate interests that underpin our mainstream media, and their hand can be clearly seen in the way this event is being covered.

The media is clearly focusing relentlessly on this one issue because their corporate overlords demand that they do exactly that. If you run into anyone who doubts that our media is bought and paid for, I'd just gesture vaguely at the coverage of Thompson's murder and leave my argument at that.

[Irish_Dem]

1. I noticed the same thing.

Quite a bit of attention to this murder, to the exclusion of almost anything else.

I wonder why?

[OrangeJoe]

28. Advertising dollars

We don’t have cable or network tv. On our trip to Mexico this winter we spent a few nights in motels in the States with televisions in them. I was totally blown away by all the ads for prescription meds. “Ask your doctor if … is for you.” So yeah the networks pay most of their bills and inflated salaries on revenue from Big Pharma.

[PeaceWave]

48. I pointed out yesterday that the media barely mentioned the coup attempt in South Korea...

Not one but two people here responded "I can walk and chew gum at the same time." So, it cuts both ways. The media has been pushing the CEO murder story extremely hard. However, the public has been more than willing to consume (chew?) it all.

[arthritisR_US]

50. Excellent point, doesn't speak well for the public or the media.

[Irish_Dem]

58. The media is the propaganda arm of the PutinGOP.

So there is a reason to downplay the failed SK coup.

[XanaDUer2]

2. A titan was executed in billionnaires

Playground manhattan. They're scared

[NEOBuckeye]

24. Musk isn't

Maybe he’s too arrogant and stupid to be.

[johnnyfins]

70. BINGO!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Swede]

3. It was breaking news several times on CNN.

[Jedi Guy]

5. Ah, Terminator 2. One of the very few sequels that was superior to its predecessor.

I love me a good dose of 90s nostalgia, thanks for that.

[PJMcK]

75. Three more great sequels

Aliens
Godfather II
The Empire Strikes Back

Sorry for the off-topic post.

[markodochartaigh]

79. And Grumpier Old Men

n/t

[Jedi Guy]

84. I agree overall, though I think it's tough to compare Alien and Aliens.

They're in the same universe and involve the same character, but they're very different films thematically. Alien is a slasher movie set in space whereas Aliens is a war movie set in space. Of the two, I vastly prefer Aliens and it's easily the high point of the entire franchise. That said, the newest one, Alien: Romulus, was quite good. I was pleasantly surprised.

Side note: if you enjoy horror with a dash of British humor, I highly recommend Dog Soldiers. It's one of my all-time favorite horror films. Think Aliens meets The Howling meets Zulu. The practical effects are quite good (and far better than 2002-era CGI would've been) and it has some fantastic performances from Kevin McKidd, Sean Pertwee, and Liam Cunningham.

[TBF]

4. Billionaires own the major media in this country-

they are freaking out. They don't like this vigilante business one bit. They want to steal all they can and be applauded for it.

[Random Boomer]

61. It's backfiring on them

Apparently they haven't noticed that the saturation coverage is simply advertising how many people are rooting for the shooter, or at least sympathetic to the motives of the shooter. Sure, keep that publicity going and give some other traumatized customers the idea of how to proceed after denied claims.

[TBF]

64. They have nearly a full-face photo from that one camera -

and no one has turned him in. There definitely is empathy/sympathy. Everyone either has a "claim denied" story of their own or knows someone who got shafted.

[onecaliberal]

68. This is what they get for wanting all the guns everywhere.

[allegorical oracle]

6. Media responds to eyeballs watching. It's been an interesting, human interest

mystery. So, from a media standpoint, the viewer tracking shows people are watching this story unfold more avidly than they are watching what's happening in S Korea. Have seen similar heavy coverage of school shootings, too.

[Think. Again.]

13. No, eyeballs only see what's put in front of them.

[allegorical oracle]

55. Not to be cheeky, but I choose what's in front of my eyeballs as much as possible.

[Think. Again.]

56. "...as much as possible".

[JHB]

7. Part of it is also is "proximity bias". It took place in NYC, against a very-high-on-the-social-totem-pole guy.

A derecho (wind storm) that knocks out power for days in the Midwest can be a news afterthought (and even then, only when there's some juicy video), whereas even the possibility of a hurricane hitting the NYC metro area drowns out all else.

The exec was a guy who, even if they didn't know him, likely went to the same restaurants and shops as they did. Compared to that? What's a "Korea"?

[spooky3]

77. I agree. I've seen this happen many times. Nt

[RedWhiteBlueIsRacist]

8. Fortunately, I cut the cord years ago.

So, no wall to wall coverage for me. I'm guessing this is going OJ/Jon Benet from the looks of it.

[ColinC]

9. K/R

[Silent Type]

10. Assassinations, blood, police investigations, etc., sell. I've had CNN on in background today and that was

just one of the topics discussed including Penny trial, the drunk x-FOX rapist nominee, etc.

[LeftInTX]

11. It's a "who done it". Everyone is talking about

the murder. "Evil CEO of despised insurance company that denied Healthcare resulting in millions of deaths gun downed in the streets in midtown Manhattan"

"Social media pillages insurance companies"
"Reddit users paint awesome picture of suspect as angelic hero"
"Who is the hero? He won't be found guilty"
"They couldn't take it anymore"
"Someone finally stood up to UHC"

The media is just following the public's interest.

[allegorical oracle]

12. The shooter's probably in the Bahamas by now, getting a suntan. nt

[Think. Again.]

15. The media can, and does, deliberately create the public's interest by what the media pushes forward.

[H2O Man]

22. That's true.

On the other hand, more people watch "true crime" shows these days. And many of the best ones are pod casts found on the internet. I think that, in part, the "regular" media is competing for viewers.

This case is getting a lot more immediate media attention than, say, the sheriff that recently shot the judge in Kentucky. It may be to distract from more important things. But the mood of the country suggests a lot of people aren't upset about the executive.

[LeftInTX]

43. I'm still fixated on the the sheriff's case. I'm glad they indicted him.

That case brought out a bunch of weirdos on social media. Good grief. I was so sick of: "The judge deserved it".

Too many right wingers enjoying vigilante and assuming the judge was sleeping with the sheriff's daughter. Now it turns out the sheriff's wife kicked the sheriff out of the house the night before he shot the judge.

[H2O Man]

46. Right.

It's not clear what if anything the sheriff's call on the judge's phone to his daughter was all about. But a pod cast today had a recording from the deposition the female inmate in the criminal case against the deputy/ civil case against the deputy & sheriff. She said that there are recordings of the judge participating in sex-for-favors with at least one female inmate. I'm sure that there is much more to the case.

[arthritisR_US]

52. They know their audience so are you sure their following or leading ?

[Lulu KC]

14. It's been a very intense news week!

I thought the CEO killing would go on longer, but it's falling further down the page, at least on WaPo and NYT. Since it appears he left NYC for parts unknown, the energy will be dispersed geographically a little.

At least on both of those websites, Iran leaving Syria and the insurgents taking another large city are way up top, for now.

The Korean thing was so weird, since it was over in only four hours! It seemed to me to start with what looked a potential war between North and South Korea, then became, "Oh, another right wing nut to watch" and then hooray! Sanity prevailed! People demonstrated and won!

And somewhere in the middle of all this there was Hunter's pardon.

I am exhausted from the stimulation.

[milestogo]

16. I have not watched any of it.

[Sympthsical]

17. It's real life "Who shot JR?"

It's ready made for breathless media coverage, because they know people are incredibly interested.

We have a wealthy man, despised by many, who was assassinated by a shadowy figure who had an extensive plan. A decent portion of the country is hailing the assassin as a folk hero. But who is he? He vanished into thin air like a television show killer who disappears into a crowd. What were his motives? A disgruntled customer, someone burned by insider trader? Is there a conspiracy here? And you cannot deny that young man is photogenic as hell.

If your job is pure ratings - and these media companies only care about that - it's real easy to run with this for awhile.

I have absolutely clicked on the CNN website more times in the past few days than usual, because I'm curious about the latest developments. It's real life soap opera.

They're not there to inform us. They're there to entertain us. Right now, it's interesting. Not particularly useful, but interesting nonetheless. If there are no further significant developments in a day or so, you'll see the coverage peter out a bit.

The real tell of wealth inequality is the amount of resources NYPD is pouring into this one. They haven't worked this hard figuring out a murder since Giuliani's reputation was reported missing after a party.

[Solly Mack]

18. On December 4, 2024, 41 other Americans died from gun violence. 42 total. Only 1 is getting widespread

coverage.

Gun Violence last 72 hours

[H2O Man]

23. Thank you.

[Solly Mack]

29. You're welcome. :(

[leftstreet]

25. +1

Holy crap

[Solly Mack]

30. They list the injured as well.

[bronxiteforever]

34. They say "All lives matters"

But as you brilliantly pointed out Solly, that isn’t true.

[Solly Mack]

36. Only certain lives matter and I'm not in that club. The majority of us aren't.

[bronxiteforever]

37. Yes.like your point makes clear

the hypocrisy of the all lives slogan and the lack of coverage of all the other victims plus the media fetishized interest in a rich man’s death is a visible example of the sickness that lies within our country.

[Solly Mack]

38. Sickness is apt.

[Dulcinea]

59. Apparently some lives matter more than others. nt

[DSandra]

87. But a rich white CEO of a huge corporation is seen as perhaps 10,000 times more important than a "nobody" American.

America is secretly highly approving of inequality.

[Solly Mack]

88. Not so secretly.

[PedroXimenez]

19. they figure people need a feel good story

just kidding of course

[BaronChocula]

20. Joe Bagadonuts

The first time I heard that was from Dom Irera in a Dangerfield young comics special back in the 80s.

As for the CEO getting shot, I didn't hear about that until, like, a day later. I still can't watch news. It takes everything to come to DU. So I'm glad I found something to make me laugh here.

[Shoonra]

21. Frankly, he's a folk hero ...

The shooter may well become (if it hasn't yet happened) our newest folk hero. UnitedHealthCare was notorious for short-changing its policy holders, and the families of many could blame an avoidable death on UHC's delaying tactics or its outright denial of benefits.

Comments on the internet include: It wasn't murder, it was a denial of benefits. Or, We aren't happy with the assassination, we're just denying an application for sympathy because outside our program parameters.

More than 48 hours after the assassination, the NYPD suspected that the suspect had left Manhattan; I expected that within an hour of the shooting, and I seriously doubt that the assassin spent two nights in Manhattan after the shooting. The two photos of his face show a handsome man, without a lot of detail (e.g. no hair color); his face, but what little was showing, looked like a million other men. He evidently planned this, including changing his jacket and getting out of town, very carefully. I honestly doubt he can be captured, and if he is, there's a chance that one of the jurors will positively hold out for a minor offense or outright acquittal. This man is the new Bernie Goetz.

[Skittles]

26. shooting someone in the back is sheer fucking cowardice

nothing to romanticize

[Aussie105]

31. Quick and clean, no risk to the shooter.

Standard operational procedure for an assassin.

Quick, cleanly executed, have your getaway plan ready.

Only question I have, what is the back story on this?

[Skittles]

32. yeah, assassins routinely show their face while flirting

HE'S A FUCKING COWARD

[Aussie105]

33. Yes of course!

Ask any vet who has been on active duty how much courage it takes to point a gun at another human being and pull the trigger knowing you will kill that person.

[Skittles]

35. are you seriously comparing that guy to combat vets?

please stop

DONE here

[intheflow]

57. For all we know, he is a combat vet.

The best snipers get their training in the military.

[Dulcinea]

60. That's crossed my mind too.

Maybe this guy is ex-military, Special Forces, Green Beret, etc. He clearly knew what he was doing.

[Skittles]

86. LOL

HE AIN"T NO COMBAT VET

[intheflow]

89. You came back 3 days later just to pwn me?

Which isn’t even a pwn because I said we didn’t know anything about him while he was at large. 🙄

[Skittles]

90. I'm a veteran

but I actually knew because combat vets got back to me saying, uh, no, no freaking way

[Mr.WeRP]

78. You say that a lot. I do not think it means what you think it means

[Aussie105]

27. Are they next?

This single incident attracts media attention because it is too close to home.

If one of theirs, a greedy uncaring profiteering person can die like that, well, who is next?

Gun violence is ok, as long as it is some nobody, but this is too close to home for the CEOs out there!

And the media goes into semi-panic mode . . . this is terrible, shouldn't happen to one of us important people!

The media hitting the shock-panic button on this won't work, there have been too many incidents worse than this - like school shootings - where the media yawned and went 'Meh!'

But . . . don't let the media tell you how you should feel or react, that is entirely up to you.

[arthritisR_US]

53. I think you're fecking spot on!👍🏼

[PatrickforB]

39. Wall Street and the billionaire parasites have declared war on the American working class.

Everybody knows these sociopaths care much more about their PROFITS than they ever have about human life.

[johnnyfins]

72. Everyone except the voters who put

TSF back in the Oval, that is.

[Uncle Joe]

40. Generally speaking, the value that the corporate media; places on individuals is directly related to their wealth,

Palestinians don't have shit, that's why the ongoing genocide; (which all the world knows is happening) is all but ignored by them.

The corporate media's prime directive isn't to inform or enlighten the American People so much as to maintain the current power structure of dog eat dog capitalism in the United States because that's how they make their mega-bucks, not to mention that they're owned by oligarchs.

Thanks for the thread Jedi Guy.

[PortTack]

41. Agree...but, it's also the sensationalism of it that they think brings viewers. Legacy media is not the news

Last edited Fri Dec 6, 2024, 11:28 PM - Edit history (2)

Nor is it our friend.

On edit: we have a real chance of bringing legacy media to their knees, including msnbc if we continue to chose not to watch, and convince more ppl what a waste of time they are. Joe Scarborough is now scolding what’s left of his viewers for not liking his t-rump butt kissing. No doubt he and Mika are on the verge of facing cancellation.

Just think, we could have real news Walter Cronkite or Edward R Murrow style. Think about it

[Hassler]

42. Unfortunately for our corporate media overlords

The more people hear about it, the more they are reminded how much they hate their healthcare.

[Jack Valentino]

44. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated ??

I have no memory of that....

Thing is, the way news coverage of world events goes,
you would think we in the US are the only country in the world--
we mostly talk about us, and only about us,
until some other country has an earthquake or a tsunami or a nuclear meltdown,
when our media will give them 2 minutes...

and that has been true going back to my childhood.

Maybe we ARE 'the center of the world'--
other countries give us much more news coverage than
we give all the rest of them put together


We are a very 'self-centered' nation.

[Coventina]

49. He was no longer PM at the time, but still a public figure. And the shooting was at a public event.

Very traumatic for the Japanese people, where gun violence is really rare.

You are correct, the USA is very self-centered.

[Cirsium]

45. Not just MSM

The topic took off on its own with the public. The reason is because it unleashed a tidal wave of resentment and anger against the health care industry in general and especially health care insurance companies.

That public uproar is authentic and represents a legitimate grievance. As Democrats we should be supportive of that rather than dismissing or disappearing it under an avalanche of phony outrage about supposed "vigilantism."

[BidenRocks]

47. At least 3X a week.....

A child is shot and/or killed.
I'll save my sympathy for them.

[Mountainguy]

51. Abe was a former head of state, not the current head of state

And his assassination was covered a lot.

This is a CEO of one of the biggest companies in the world getting shot to death on camera in the middle of Manhatten. It's getting coverage because people want it to be covered. That's why there are dozens of threads about it here.

[modrepub]

54. M$M Is Not Connected To The General Public Anymore

Their shock at most people's contempt towards this person's murder is proof they have no idea what's going on in the trenches. Whether it's bowing to their corporate master (possible) or their total lack of being out amongst the common people (fewer corporate journalists/divide between college "elites" and non-college people). it's obvious they are taken aback by the general public's response or lack of empathy.

My guess is whoever this person is, they won't be taken alive. There'd be a real risk a jury of his peers would get deadlocked or acquit. A trial exposing the person's motivation may trigger a wave of sympathy and outrage at our health care system.

[DAngelo136]

62. But, Weren't We Warned

about the domination of corporations way back in the 70's? In such movies like "Rollerball" (1975)

And in Paddy Chayefsky's "Network" (1976)

But, as he pointed out, this is mostly our fault:

?si=hnVbImVFEo9GN1U1

[Jedi Guy]

67. A lot of cyberpunk and futuristic science fiction deals with out-of-control corporate power.

Shadowrun, for instance, which originated in the late 80s and early 90s, is a tabletop RPG setting in which magic returns to the world in 2012, resulting in elves, dwarves, orcs, and trolls (commonly known as metahumans) existing alongside baseline humans, hypertechnology, magical creatures like dragons, etc. One of the key themes is that corporations are as powerful, if not more powerful, than national governments and are intrinsically entwined with national governments. Many of the "megacorps" have standing military forces that rival or outmatch national militaries. The United Corporate Council, made up of AAA megacorps, has more military and political power than the United Nations.

Another more recent example would be Cyberpunk 2077, a video game that launched a few years back and is based on the Cyberpunk tabletop RPG. It lacks the magic/fantasy elements of Shadowrun, but otherwise it's very similar in how corporations are presented. One of the corporations in the game, Arasaka, has a blue-water navy that includes an aircraft carrier.

I remarked to my best friend a few years back that the early 21st century as we've experienced it feels an awful lot like the prologue to a dystopian sci-fi or cyberpunk story. It's great for those atop the corporate ladder; not so much for the rest of us...

[calimary]

71. "Network"!

One of my all time favorite movies.

[seta1950]

63. It sells

Sensationalizing news,is what they do, it’s all about profit, money.

[generalbetrayus]

65. They used to say in the newspaper business (maybe they still do)

"If it bleeds, it leads."

[SunSeeker]

66. The media may be obsessed but online sleuths don't give a shit.

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/internet-sleuths-say-wont-help-find-unitedhealthcare-ceo-suspect-rcna183228

[ThePartyThatListens]

69. Excellent point

You nailed it OP.

[dalton99a]

73. The shooter must be caught, or our great healthcare system would be destroyed

[quakerboy]

74. Im just curious

if anyone else was shot and killed in nyc in the week before or days after this killing, and if so, if the police have devoted as much time and effort into "Solving" those killings.

[Mr.WeRP]

76. Well. Fucking. Said.

[Unhandyandy]

80. Maybe this is the path...

...to gun control.

[mercuryblues]

81. If a room full of kindergarteners

blown to pieces didn't do it, nothing will.

[Karasu]

82. Yep. That said, though, the US cares infinitely more about motherfucking CEOs than it does about kindergarteners...so

I suppose one can hope.

[Karasu]

83. There are many reasons why the media are losing their collective shit over this, but all of them are painfully obvious

and transparent.

[ificandream]

85. Slow down ... there's no conspiracy ... news editors have various criteria on which news is judged.

In the case of the Thompson killing, it was the cold blooded killing on the street that pushed it up in the news judgment of editors. That and the ongoing investigation into what happened and who did it, which fosters more stories to answer those questions.

It has zero to do with "corporate media," for God's sake. People need to stop looking for motives in news coverage. It's more cut-and-dried than a lot of people think. (And yes I worked at a daily newspaper that won a Pulitzer for over 35 years.)